Moustroll Good movie but grossly overrated

Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Michael_Elliott Asylum of Satan (1972)** (out of 4)Lucina (Carla Borelli) wakes up one morning in a mysterious hospital that she doesn't recognize. She asks to see her doctor but she is informed that he's the one who sent her to this hospital for a special treatment. Dr. Spector (Charles Kissinger) promises that the treatment will be quick but what she doesn't realize is that he's actually in a pack with Satan himself and sending him new women.ASYLUM OF Satan comes from Louisville director William Girdler who of course would go onto make some pretty good movies including some blaxploitation titles as well as GRIZZLY before his tragic death in a helicopter crash at the age of thirty. This film here certainly isn't anything special or good but I think it contains proof that the director had a talent and you can watch it and see why he would go on to make better pictures.With that said, one has to wonder what the point was of making a PG- rated exploitation picture. Obviously Satanic themes were quite popular during the early 70s but there's really not too much done with it here. If you're looking for nudity, gore or violence then you're going to be disappointed because there isn't any. There's really nothing too shocking and for an exploitation film the shock value is at zero. The film does have some good stuff and that includes the atmosphere, which is actually quite thick. I thought Girdler perfectly captures the mood and setting of this isolated hospital and I'd argue that the look of the seance was quite good. The Satan costume itself looks pretty silly but it's a fun outfit. I also thought Borelli gave a pretty good performance and certainly a lot better than you typically see in these types of films.ASYLUM OF Satan has a good, catchy title and I'm sure the poster lured people into drive-ins back in the day. The film certainly needed a punch of something because even at just 77-minutes it drags in spots. Still, it's an interesting picture that fans of Girdler should enjoy.

The_Void William Girdler made his directorial debut in 1972 with the surprisingly decent exploitation flick Three on a Meathook, and since then basically everything he's directed has gone on to become notorious - though mostly that's because his films are so low quality, not because of any content. That is certainly the case with Asylum of Satan; a mind numbingly bad horror film which features nothing that would shock an audience of young children. The film focuses on a woman who wakes up in asylum, despite her feeling that nothing is wrong with her. The doctor is adamant that she must stay...and it son transpires that there's more to this medical centre than meets the eye. The film is very short; running at under eighty minutes and I am really glad it wasn't longer as the majority of the duration is mind-numbingly boring. The plot basically just plods along for the entire film and the 'twists' to the story do nothing to make the film any more interesting and it gets tiresome quickly. The title does promise an appearance from the dark lord, and the film doesn't disappoint in that respect. It takes a long time to get there, but the ending is at least hilariously campy - the appearance of Satan is memorable for all the wrong reasons, however. Overall, this really is a horrible film and I would recommend it only to hardcore William Girdler fans...if there are any.

EyeAskance A scrubby but efficient dollop of occult nonsense, ASYLUM OF Satan finds an attractive young woman being subdued within a strange private hospital. Waking from sleep in fear and confusion, she is told by staff that she has been placed under special care of a certain doctor, along with a handful of other patients. It latterly becomes clear that these patients suffer from various personal afflictions which said doctor insists he can cure. As it turns out, his sure-fire cure is the same for ALL ailments...and the most common side effect is rigor-mortis.This mystifying conundrum advances as patients disappear one-by-one, leaving our young heroin to find a means of escape before it's too late. The bizarre finalization of this nightmare is a Black Magic ritual conjuring Satan himself...and he is one scrawny, bedraggled looking Lord of Darkness, I must say.While this is doubtlessly lower-berth material of questionable quality, a fairly nice job is done keeping things interesting and steeped in a creepy, otherworldly atmosphere. As 70s drive-in fodder goes, ASYLUM OF Satan might be a bug's nose above the median...I neither enshrine nor crucify this movie...it ably serves its primary function to entertain, even if it is on the verymost base level.4.5/10

SSJTrunks I am ashamed to say I have seen this movie. And more than once. Why? I guess I'm just a sucker for pain. But really, Nick Jolly? Where did they find this guy? For that matter, where did they find any of these people? I'd say "Asylum of Satan" should be burned, but it's just too much fun to make fun of a la MST3K (who, by the way, would have a field day with this stink-burger!).